As the powers of world soccer gather this week in Marseilles for Thursday's draw for next sum mer's World Cup finals, a draw that will divide the 32 finalists into eight groups of four, one country and one man are, as ever, at the centre of attention.
Brazil is the country, 66-year-old Brazilian coach Mario Zagallo the man. Winner of two World Cups as a player (1958, 1962) and winner of one as a coach (1970), Zagallo even had a hand in Brazil's 1994 World Cup win at USA '94, since he held the ill-defined role of "supervisor" to that side, coached by Carlos Alberto Parreira.
This week, Zagallo and the Brazilian delegation will be the centre of attention, and not only because Brazil is trebly significant as reigning champion, as tournament favourite and as the side which neutrals all over the world love to watch.
Zagallo and Brazil find themselves at the centre of a soccer-political wrangle regarding the national team's requirements to have players released for friendlies in South Africa and Saudi Arabia.
Ever since Nike became involved with sponsorship of Brazil, the national team's calendar has become a great deal busier. Between December 6th and 21st, Brazil are scheduled to play six friendlies, starting against South Africa in Johannesburg, then moving on to contest the Confederation Cup in Saudi Arabia where opponents will include the hosts (a France '98 qualifier), Uruguay (the biggest name not to qualify), Australia (beaten last weekend by Iran in their World Cup play-off), the Czech Republic (another non-qualifier) and South Africa again (also due to appear in France).
Brazil, the president of the Brazilian football federation, Ricardo Texeira, and Nike all want Brazil's best players to appear in South Africa and Saudi Arabia. The clubs where the players earn their daily bread - in this case mainly Italian clubs - are, understandably, not happy.
Mario Zagallo is caught in the crossfire, only too aware of the conflicting requirements of the divided parties.
Take the case of current Italian league leaders Inter Milan. They reached deep into both their and their sponsors' pockets this summer to splash out more than $30 million for a Brazilian gentleman called Ronaldo. So far, the investment is reaping unexpected dividends; Inter's away win against Vicenza on Sunday put them four points clear of second placed Juventus, with AS Roma and Udinese a further three points away in third.
If Brazil exercise their rights under FIFA regulations and call up Ronaldo, then he will miss not only for three Serie A games between now and Christmas, but, perhaps more importantly, Inter's critical return leg, UEFA Cup tie with Strasbourg on this day week.
Following an arrogant, over-confident performance in Strasbourg last Tuesday, Inter go into the home leg with the scoreline reading 0-2 against them.
Clearly, all hands are required on deck. Clearly, argue Inter, this is not the time for Ronaldo to go missing, summoned to the cause of earning appearance and sponsorship dollars for the Brazilian Federation by playing meaningless friendlies.
The same argument has been made by other Italian clubs with players involved: AC Milan (Leonardo and Cruz); AS Roma (Aldair and Cafu); Parma (Ze Maria); Juventus (Uruguayans Paolo Montero and Daniel Fonseca); Vicenza (Uruguayans Marcelo Otero and Gustavo Mendez); Lazio (Czech Pavel Nedved and Australian Paul Okon); and Bari (South African Phil Masinga).
For much of today, FIFA's Mr Fixit, general-secretary Sepp Blatter, will be trying to sort this one out, knowing only too well that the problem will present itself again next February when the Nike-driven Brazilian friendly calendar is due to take in the Gold Cup '98 tournament in California. Not for nothing did Blatter comment last weekend:
"All the same, the biggest problem at the moment does not concern Brazil and the Italian clubs, but rather the sponsors who, thanks to their cash incentives, have begun to decide far too many things that should otherwise be decided by federation executives" Zagallo will watch and wait. He knows he does not need these friendlies and that his initial World Cup problems will concern which players to exclude from his 22-man squad. As many as nine players, all being fit and well, pick themselves for the first team even now: Taffarel in goal; Cafu, Roberto Carlos and Aldair in defence; Dunga, Leonardo and Denilson in midfield; with Ronaldo and Romario up front. Defenders Andre Cruz and Marcio Santos, strikers Adailton and "O Animal" Edmundo and midfielder Mauro Silva must all hope and wait.
Zagallo, too, hopes that this time his Brazil can win the World Cup but do so playing more attractive soccer than at USA'94.
He is realistic enough to admit the difficulties ahead, saying this weekend: "I like creative soccer, but I also like to win. Being unpredictable is in itself not enough. I have a wonderful player like Denilson, but I also have a midfield boss like Dunga.
"For years, before every World Cup, everyone would say, Brazil are the best. Then another country came along and won. It took us 24 years to win back the 1970 title and when we did it, we did so playing the worst soccer of our history . . . I hope my side can do better, can prove both tactically sophisticated while playing creative soccer. In short, that it can be a `Brazilian' Brazil . . ."
Here's to that thought.
